Alexander of Sparta and the Flames of War
by Mundster Madman
Summary: Zeus' Master Bolt was not recovered in time. Hades held Percy and Annabeth hostage, sending Grover back to the surface at his wife's request. The Big Three declared war on each other, and through the chaos, Kronos rose, unimpeded. The Camps and Olympus fell. But the Fates did not turn their back on the demigods. They had a backup plan: Alexander of Sparta. M for blood and gore.
1. The Escape

**AN: **Well, here we go again. I've been toying around with this story for quite some time now, and I finally got my stuff together. Don't worry, I'm not abandoning The Trident Thief, but I am working on a re-write. I didn't follow the plan I had, mostly because I forgot it. I'm writing everything down, plot wise, so I will continue to be under control of the story, going forward. For now, please enjoy this story.

**The Escape**

I walked through the game room, with all of these annoying little kids screaming and running all over the place. The magical machines have captured the attentions of most of all the older kids. These "video games" make me uncomfortable. Normally, I wouldn't even be in here, but my friends, Nico and Bianca, wanted to speak with me. I know that I've been in this hotel for far longer than they have, but I don't know how much longer. I only remember this place being a hotel, but I feel like it wasn't always a hotel.

As I walked across the floor, I ran into a kid with black, shaggy hair. "Forgive me, I wasn't watching where I was going," I said.

"It's no problem," he said back. Now, ordinarily, I don't take notice of people, but he reminded me of someone; a fisherman in my city who taught me how to fish.

Something seemed wrong with the guy, so I asked, "Is everything alright? You seem upset."

"Oh, um my friends and I need to leave. Something is wrong here. You are actually talking, so maybe you can understand. There are people here that say they are from way back in the past, like in the 70s and stuff. It's like time barely passes by here. My friends and I need to get out of here, because we have something to do, and this place doesn't want us to go. Can you help me find them?" he asked hurriedly. If he isn't insane, then we have a serious problem. How long have I been in here?

"I think you might be crazy, but I will help you. My name is Alexander," I said.

"I'm Percy Jackson," he said. He smiled, and explained he was looking for a girl with blond hair, and a kid with a wispy beard and brown hair. We wandered around for a while, and eventually found the girl. Percy was trying to get her attention, and when she blew him off, I got a bit mad, and I may or may not have smashed the game, which pissed her off a bit. But we got her attention. Percy mentioned something about a quest.

"A quest? Who sent you on a quest? The gods?" I asked. Both of their jaws dropped. What did I say?

"You know about the gods?" Percy asked.

"Of course I do. Who doesn't?" I asked in return. Percy and Annabeth shared a look briefly.

"You should leave with us," Annabeth said. I shook my head.

"I am supposed to meet with some friends of mine. I think something is wrong, because Bianca's note made it seem urgent. Now let's find your other friend," I said. Their "other friend" was a satyr, and he was playing some game where deer hunt people with some strange weapon. "Things would have been easier if you had mentioned that he was a satyr," I said dryly. I was beginning to get angry again.

"I, uh, didn't think you believed satyrs were real," Percy said.

"What is that supposed to mean? There are hundreds of satyrs around my city. If I were to think that they did not exist, I might as well believe that my flesh is made of wood," I retorted harshly.

"Wait, satyrs are common to you? How long have you been in here? Where do you think you are?" Annabeth asked quickly.

I sighed deeply, trying to restrain myself. "Yes, I saw satyrs everyday in my city. I don't know where I am, or how long I've been here," I said. "I assume I am still near Greece? I don't know where my ship wrecked." Annabeth's mouth kept on opening and closing, and she looked a little bit like a fish. I got mad, so I gestured for them to collect their friend, and I stormed off to cool down before I met with Nico and Bianca.

After around fifteen minutes or so, I was finally calm, so I decided to go to the cafe and talk with them. I asked the servant, who insisted he be called a waiter, if they were there, and he led me to their table. Why would he be called a waiter? What is he waiting on? It doesn't matter. I sat down, and managed to smile. "Sorry I'm late. I was trying to help some guy find his friends. Why did you want to meet?" I asked.

Bianca rolled her eyes, and said, "Straight to the point as always. Are you hungry?" I laughed and nodded my head. "Now, as for why I wanted to meet, we received a letter yesterday saying that a lawyer was coming to pick us up in a few days. Nico insisted that we tell you," she said.

"Are you sure he can't come with us? He is the only person that plays Mythomagic with me, besides you, and you're no good," Nico complained. I chuckled at Bianca's face. She seemed a little mad.

"I am perfectly good at that game. Alexander is simply better," she said in a huff.

"I think that our waiter is better than you at Mythomagic," Nico came back.

"Why you-" Bianca began, but the waiter walked up with an appetizer, forcing her to act collected. I laughed, loudly, which resulted in Bianca's eyes drilling holes into my head.

"Anyway, I don't think that the lawyer will let us take Alex, and he is not a pet, we can't just pick him up and take him where we want," Bianca said after the waiter had left.

"So it's settled. I'm not a pet, and Bianca is horrible at Mythomagic," I joked. Bianca glared at me, while Nico just laughed. "Now, while we are talking, the guy I was helping out and his friend seem to think something is wrong with this place. They say people from the past are here, and that they haven't aged a day."

"So they're like ghosts?" Nico asked excitedly. I shook my head.

"No, like they got stuck in here, haven't aged, and are still alive," I answered.

"You don't believe them do you?" Bianca asked. I shrugged.

"No, not really, but they seemed to believe so. They didn't think I believed in the gods, and were shocked when I commented on their satyr friend. Maybe where they come from satyrs aren't around," I speculated.

"Wait, you think satyrs are real?" Bianca asked incredulously. I nodded my head slowly.

"Of course. I've seen hundreds of different satyrs before. They are all over the place. You don't think they're real?" I asked in shock.

"They were once! That's why they are in my game! They aren't made up, but I think they are all dead," Nico said. I laughed.

"Satyrs are still around, Nico. I just saw one a few minutes ago," I said.

"Stop teasing him," Bianca said angrily. "Stop acting like the things in his game are real!" Now I got angry.

"Do NOT yell at me! I am not entertaining fantasy! You are, though, if you truly think the monsters and magical creatures and gods are a mere story! I have seen gods with my own two eyes, and watched as guards fought off a cyclops with a demigod hero. I have witnessed centaurs gallop across plains, and I've even seen a drakon burn down a forest," I said. Nico was bouncing in his seat, while Bianca looked like she was either mad, or like I was insane.

"THAT IS SO COOL!" Nico screamed, which caused me to wince.

"Quiet down," I said.

"Sorry."

"Are you nuts?" Bianca asked. I shook my head.

"No, I'm not crazy. If you don't believe me, then you are not as smart as I believed," I answered. That made her mad. She grabbed Nico and stormed off somewhere, presumably their quarters. I shrugged, and ordered a lamb chop.

Two days later, I was about to wrestle with a guy who was about my size, when Nico and Bianca ran up. "Alex! Something is wrong!" I stopped what I was doing.

"What is it?" I asked, concerned.

"We don't know, but something is going on outside. Can't you feel it?" Bianca asked. With her question, the feeling I had been suppressing collapsed upon my like a ton of bricks.

"Well, I suppose-" I began, but suddenly, a man in a suit ran up.

"Nico, Bianca, I don't have long, but I need to get you two out of here. Your father needs you both badly." He caught my eyes, and they flashed red, which was rather unsettling. "You should come as well. Perhaps the Fates had a purpose in stealing you from your time." He touched my forehead, and after a flash of a man shrouded in dark robes passed before my eyes, everything about this place was revealed. I hardly managed to stay on my feet. I had been trapped in this place for thousands of years. I wanted to vomit, and tear the place down brick by brick, a rather strange combination of emotions.

"I wish, children," the man said as he ushered us out the door, "that I could do the same for you, but the River Lethe is not nearly as generous about returning memories as the Lotus Eaters are." I shook my head one last time, then opened my eyes.

The doors were in front of us. The man pulled me aside and said, "There are a few things you should know. Sparta and Argos have fallen to dust. Of the ancient city-states, only Athens remains. The gods still live, but the Titans have returned, and we are losing. Nico and Bianca's father has charged you with their safety, and yes they are demigods, and so are you. You are more than capable of keeping them safe. Take this money," he shoved a wad of green parchment slivers into my hands, "and buy a train ticket to Denver. The Fates will guide you from there."

"How do I protect them without a sword?" I asked after I looked up from the strange currency, but the man was already gone.

**AN: **What did you think? More to come soon!


	2. The Train

**AN**: I would like to thank Musicality101 for being my very first follower for this story. You're awesome! I hope more people follow in your footsteps, O' Fearless Reader. Haha :) Anyway, moving on...

**The Train**

After Bianca tried to explain to me what a train was, with a lot of frustration, and a few curses, she decided to just ask someone where a train station was. She handled the whole thing, which I was incredibly thankful for. I had no idea what was going on, or what crazy world I stepped into. Nothing seems real here. Metal chariots go speeds that no horse could ever match, and the buildings glow by themselves and are so incredibly tall.

Now that the fog had cleared from my mind, I realized how much I had aged, and that Percy and Annabeth were right about that place. When I wandered into the trap at first, I had lived a mere ten summers, but now I look as if I am nearly sixteen years of age. Nico asked when my birthday was, but I didn't know how to answer that question, which led to a more confusing conversation about the days and months of the year, and how time was measured now. If this was available knowledge back in my day, only the brightest of Athenian scholars would have been able to understand it. Or maybe Sparta, my birthplace, and Argos, the city where my mother and I moved to, just were not blessed with such knowledge. I wish I knew why my mother took me away from Sparta. I loved the city, and wanted to join the military when I came of age.

"Alex, come on, our train is about to board," Nico said. I nodded and followed him. He pulled me to the train, and when I saw it, I refused to move.

"There is no way you are getting me into that metal death trap. It's not going to happen," I insisted. Bianca came over and smacked me in the back of my head.

"Man up, Alexander. There are little kids getting on the train, and they're excited about it," she said as she rolled her eyes.

"Yes, and they are all going to die painful deaths," I replied. I looked over my shoulder briefly, and then said, "but, I think that this metal monster is safer than the alternative. Let's go." I hurried the two onto the train, and prayed to the gods that the Dracaenae did not see or smell us.

However, it appears that the gods are preoccupied at the moment.

"Demigodsss," they hissed and charged toward us. I saw them gesture to a small kid with an eyepatch, and he drew a sword and came with them. The Dracaenae leveled their spears as they ran towards me, followed by eyepatch boy.

"Nico! Bianca! Get down now!" I yelled to them. They peeked out the window, and Bianca paled, while Nico screamed something that sounded like "AWESOME." I shoved him back down, and positioned myself around the corner from the doorway. A voice echoed throughout the compartment, announcing the train would be leaving soon.

The Dracaenae burst through the door, and I kicked, sending one into the crowd of people across the way from me. The other hissed at me and tried to stab me, I turned to the side and grabbed hold of the spear as it passed by. Yanking the monster forward by the spear, I jabbed my fist into the beast's elbow, which rewarded me with an audible, sickening crack. With one arm broken now, the monster dropped the spear. The boy, I assume he is an enemy demigod, slashed at me, determination masking any other emotion on his face. I ducked underneath, and delivered a gut-busting blow to his stomach. Next I drove my knee up into his head, which broke his nose and sent him reeling backward. The first Dracaenae finally managed to get through the crowd of mortals, and jabbed at me, so I smacked its spear aside. As it stumbled forward, I drew back, then threw my fist into its scaly green face, which knocked the reptilian beast onto its back. I snatched up one of the fallen spears and, after ducking underneath another blow from the demigod, sank its tip into the injured Dracaenae.

One down, two to go. The demigod's blade grazed my side, causing me to wince and drop the spear. I rolled around, and delivered a brutal kick to the boys face, which caused him to black out. The remaining Dracaenae charged me without a spear; I suppose that it didn't notice the spear beneath its feet. I ducked beneath one of its swings then delivered three consecutive, brutal blows to its chest. When it bent over on reflex, I drove my elbow into the back of its head, forcing it to the ground. I stomped on the back of its head until it turned to golden dust, following the example of its comrade.

The demigod was regaining consciousness, and I snatched his gangly frame off of the floor. "I'm feeling merciful, because you just donated two spears and a sword to me," I said as I snatched the sheath off of his belt. "If I ever see your face again, I swear upon the grave of my mother that you will know pain unlike any other. Am I understood?" I asked, not expecting an answer. Shoving him out the door, and onto the hard cement outside the train, I turned to see Nico and Bianca stare at me as if I just grew horns. I managed a weak smile.

"What? I've been fighting with other people in the Lotus Eater's trap for thousands of years. I had a bit of an advantage," I said while rubbing the back of my head.

"THAT WAS SO COOL!" Nico yelled. Bianca just looked scared of me. Someone tapped my on my shoulder, and I turned, pointing the sword at the offender. It was an older man with thinning hair, and he looked terrified of the blade.

"Easy there, son. I assume those were some of Kronos' men, or, uh, monsters?" he asked.

"Do not say his name. Names have power," I said.

"Yes, of course, forgive me," he replied. "I just wanted to say good work. Those beasts, or some like them, invaded my home and killed my grandchildren, forcing me to watch. If there is anything I can do to help, let me know." With that, he turned away, and sat down in a nearby seat. I was slightly confused, but shrugged it off, picked up the spears, sheathed the sword, and sat down next to Nico, facing the rest of the car.

After a moment, Nico asked, "Can I hold a spear?" Bianca vehemently objected. I handed him the spear.

"Why are you letting him handle that weapon?" Bianca asked, nearly furious with me. I smirked.

"I would rather him handle it here, than in a battle. Eventually both of you will have to learn to fight, and when that day comes, questions like that will seem foolish. Here, take the other one," I said as I handed the other spear to her. She seemed scared of the weapon, which caused me to roll my eyes. "It won't bite you. I mean, you might get a splinter, but you need to get familiar with weapons. They will save your life often," I said.

"At the cost of other peoples' lives? What makes my life more valuable than theirs?" she asked.

"What kind of question is that? War is bloody, and horrible, but it is real. It's kill, or be killed, and nothing more. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you will ready to survive," I said. She seem horrified at that response. I sighed. "What if, in your hesitation to kill someone, they kill Nico? How would you feel, knowing you could have prevented it?" I asked. With that, she seemed to understand, but stayed quiet.

"Nobody is going to kill me! I can defend myself!" Nico shouted indignantly. I chuckled slightly.

"No, you really can't defend yourself yet. I've had a lot of practice," I said. His face nearly broke my heart, which is an accomplishment. "But, I promise that when I'm done with you, you will be able to not only protect yourself, but also protect those you love," I said quickly. His eyes got as big as saucers, and he seemed to vibrate in his seat from the excitement, which I laughed at. After I finished laughing, nature began to call.

"Um, Bianca, is there somewhere where I can relieve myself?" I asked awkwardly. She looked confused for a moment, before she realized what I meant, and blushed. She looked around for a moment, then pointed to where the bathroom was. I rushed toward the latrine urgently.

After I finished my business, I washed my hands, because the sign on the door told me to. I looked up into the mirror. There were mirrors all over the Lotus Hotel, but the changes in my body never truly registered, likely because of the magic in the place. My hair had grown out, and reached my shoulders. I had a small beard growing on my chin, and my baby fat had vanished. My red-brown eyes had settled a bit deeper into my head, and my brow had grown heavier. My body was more defined than I remembered it, with corded bands of muscles rippling under my skin. The top of my head wasn't even visible in the mirror, so I had grown a whole bunch. I leaned into the wall behind me and sighed deeply. How could so much time have been stolen from me? It simply wasn't right. I hardly managed to restrain myself from punching the mirror. The Fates had a purpose in putting me in that place, so I need to roll with it.

A moment later, I stepped out of the restroom, and walked back over to my friends. Bianca seemed to be lost in thought, and Nico was fighting to stay awake. And here I am, thinking he had an unlimited well of energy. I suppose even Nico has his limits. I plopped down into the seat next to Bianca, causing her to jump. "Why did you do that?" she whisper-yelled.

"I didn't want to wake him up," I said quietly. She didn't say anything else, and neither did I. After a moment, I peeked over my shoulder, and decided we were probably safe for now. With nothing else to do, I pulled my new sword out of its sheath and began to inspect the edge.

The blade was far from ideal for me, but it was better than using my bare hands. Whoever that demigod was, he took excellent care of his blade. Either that, or someone took care of it for him. You could see where the whetstone had been used on it, but you could not see any marks from the stone anywhere on the flat of the blade. The caretaker of this blade paid special attention to detail, treating the sword like a child. I resheathed the blade, and set it on the table in front of me.

Gazing out the window, I checked our surroundings once more for any possible threat, before I settled into my seat, shut my eyes, and let my mind wander into the realm of dreams. I witnessed Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades arguing in person, an event worthy of note. Harsh curses and weighty threats were slung all around, before Zeus demanded Poseidon give back the Master Bolt. Poseidon's face turned red. "I TOLD YOU I DO NOT HAVE IT!" Poseidon yelled.

"I warned you, brother! This is your last chance before I declare war!" Zeus responded. My eyes shot wide open, but it only got worse from there. After a whole bunch of nearly childish screaming, which I couldn't understand, they all began to fight. War had been declared. The dream ended, and another began.

This time, I saw a hooded figure standing on Mount Olympus wielding a scythe. Lord Kronos dropped his hood, then gestured forward, and a horde of monsters charged forward. The Olympians did not expect this attack, and those who fought were captured. Several gods were not there, and others ran, but in the chaos I couldn't tell exactly what happened. The scene flashed, and I witnessed Kronos tearing down the thrones of the gods, laughing in dark glee. Then the dream ended.

Suddenly, a voice echoed through my mind, saying, "Alexander of Sparta, the situation is grim, as you saw. This is why my sisters and I pulled you out of your time. Life must go on, and the Titans do not wish for humanity to thrive. You are charged, demigod, to be one of the leaders of the demigods. You must take action, Alexander." My eyes snapped open moments later.

The train was slowing down. "Have we arrived?" I asked Bianca, who shook her head slowly.

"No, we are in the middle of nowhere," she said.

"Then why are we stopping?" I asked. She shrugged. I stood up, and drew my sword. The doors into the car were pried open with a celestial bronze blade, and a voice cried out.

"Ethan Nakamura! We know you are on this train! Surrender, or you will be taken by force," a familiar voice yelled. The hijacker stepped onto the train, and I instantly recognized him, though he had aged.

"Percy Jackson," I said, dropping my sword to my side.

"Wait, aren't you that guy from the hotel?" he asked.

**AN**: Well there you go :) Hope you liked it. Sorry it's so late. I had some stuff to do, and I couldn't work on this until late. I wanted to get another chapter out though. Let me know where I messed up. I didn't feel like proofreading thoroughly. If you leave a review, I will give you this cookie (::) God bless!


	3. My Claiming

**AN****: **Thanks for reading to chapter three! More story for you!

**My ****Claiming**

Nico and Bianca were confused for a minute, but then again, so was Percy. "So have you seen a kid with an eyepatch?" Percy asked. I rubbed the back of my head.

"I may or may not have broken his face and thrown him off the train. Sorry I messed up your source of intel," I said, slightly embarrassed. Percy shrugged.

"I would rather have three new demigods than Ethan. The kid may not have known anything, but he was worth a shot. What's your name again?" Percy asked. I wasn't sure whether I should laugh, or get mad, so I just gave him a blank look.

"Alexander, my name, is Alexander. How much time has passed since you were in the Lotus?" I asked.

"Right around six months," he replied. I had to think for a moment to figure out that meant a half-year.

"Who else is with you?" I asked. I didn't believe he could stop the train by himself. He thought for a second.

"Nobody you know. Annabeth is back at base coordinating things. I have a son of Hephaestus, and two sons of Hermes with me. I'll introduce you guys in a minute," Percy said.

"Who is your godly parent?" I asked.

"Poseidon." The simple statement surprised me for a moment, but I guess I just expected a son of the sea god to smell more fishy. "Do you know who your godly parent is, Alex?" Percy asked. I shrugged.

"I have no idea, but I wish I knew. I'm not sure whether I want to stab him for leaving my mother, or thank him for his part in my birth," I muttered. Percy laughed at my comment.

"That's where I was for a while with my dad. The ancient laws are pretty stupid," Percy declared. He looked around for a moment at all of the stunned passengers. "Sorry for the delay folks. At least we didn't blow the train up," he said lamely, before gesturing for the three of us to follow him.

We followed him into the nearby forest, where two brown haired guys jumped on top of me, and really muscular guy about my height began to throw a net. I threw the two guys, who looked like twins, off of me, then banged their heads together when they came back at me. Percy just stood there laughing at them, while the muscled guy, just looked confused. Percy almost died of laughter when I threw them on top of each other, and sat on top of them.

"Would you like to introduce me?" I asked Percy, who was beginning to get me to laugh.

The other guy finally chuckled a bit, and said, "Charles Beckendorf, Son of Hephaestus, but just call me Beckendorf. Those two goofballs are Connor and Travis Stoll, the almost identical not twins of Hermes." I shook his hand.

"Hi!" they said simultaneously. "Can you get off of us now?"

"Maybe later," I joked. A moment later, I pulled them both to their feet, and shook their hands. Beckendorf gave me a pointed look, so I said, "I am Alexander, and these are my friends, Nico and Bianca Di Angelo." Nico shook all of their hands excitedly, and Bianca mumbled something along the lines of "a pleasure" as she gently shook their hands.

"Got a last name?" one of the Stolls asked me.

"Nope," I replied, which seemed to satisfy him.

"Now we just hope we can get seven demigods back to the hideout. We were pushing it with the four of us already, and we only expected one more half-blood," Beckendorf said. Percy nodded, and soon we were walking further into the mountains, and the forest swallowed us whole.

After a few days and several monster attacks, Percy told everyone to make camp for the night. "We should arrive sometime tomorrow morning," he said when I asked him how far away we were from their hideout.

"Why don't we just keep going through the night? We are going through a valley, and there is more risk in staying still than moving," I said. Percy shrugged.

"I think the Di Angelos need a break," he said. "Besides, it's time for you to tell your story." We had been exchanging either personal history, or "scary" campfire stories when we stopped for the night for the past few days. The Di Angelos couldn't remember their life before the hotel, and I mentioned that the person who had retrieved us from the Lotus said something about the River Lethe. Connor and Travis took turns telling about their greatest pranks; I liked the one where they talked about the Golden Mango. Beckendorf told the story of the Bronze Dragon that once guarded Camp Half-blood, the former home of the now scattered demigods. Percy and those near him have been trying to unite everyone, but they are too scared to fight right now. They had lost their home, after all.

"I suppose I could tell what little I know of my tale. Be warned, I am no story teller," I cautioned. Percy laughed.

"And I am? I managed last night," he said. Percy told us about how he came to Camp Half-blood, and his journey to the Underworld, where Hades imprisoned him and Annabeth. When he realized Kronos had risen, he released them, but it was too late at that point. The three brothers had worn each other down with war, and Olympus was overrun before Poseidon or Hades realized what was happening.

"I guess you're right," I said with a smile. We walked back over to the group, where Beckendorf had gotten a fire burning. Nico was pestering Bianca over something, and I decided I would let her deal with it. One day, she'll look back at it and smile. Travis and Connor rummaged around in their packs, and grabbed some hot dogs and roasting sticks. Nobody seemed to be able to tell me why they were called hot dogs. Percy said Annabeth would probably know though. As Travis passed out the roasting sticks, we all settled down around the crackling flames.

"Alright, dude, it's your turn now. You can't put us off this time," Connor said. I finally managed to tell them apart: Travis was taller than Connor.

"Fine! Let me eat first," I snapped. I admit, my temper has not gotten any better. The stick poking my butt probably made me more grumpy. Everyone stayed quiet for a while, making sure they wouldn't have to fight me or something. I ate my hot dog quickly, but didn't bother asking for another, because I knew we were out.

"Are you sure you want to hear where I'm from? It might shock you guys," I said, which earned emphatic nods all around. I sighed deeply, and took in a deep breath to prepare myself. "Well, where do I start? I can't start with where I was born. You would probably interrupt and ask too many questions. I answer those questions first. As you all know, I was stuck in the Lotus Casino and Hotel, like Nico and Bianca, but I was in there for quite a while longer than they were. I don't know exactly how long, or how I got there, but I think I arrived after a ship I was on wrecked, and I know that I was in that place for, at the very minimum, 2500 years, but it was probably longer than that. Most of the time while I was in the Lotus Eaters trap, I spent wrestling and fighting.

"Now, I was born in Sparta, Greece. The last major event that I remember was the fall of Achilles. That may help you figure how long I was out. When I was nine years old, my mother moved us to Argos. I don't know why, but most of what she did, she did for me. Perhaps my father could explain, but I am clueless. Mythical creatures were everywhere in that time period, and everyone could see them. I don't think the mist you have now existed back then, and I still haven't noticed anything being hidden from me. Maybe that is because I am not from this time.

"Anyway, I remember my mom got very sick, and sent me on a boat. I didn't even know where the ship was going, and I somehow ended up in the Lotus Eaters trap, where I stayed until about a week ago," I finished. I looked around at everyone, and they seemed shocked. Beckendorf cleared his throat, but didn't say anything. Connor and Travis seemed to be discussing something, while Percy's mouth just hung open. I'm not sure, but I think I saw a bug fly into his mouth. Nico looked somewhere between confused and his usual excited, and Bianca just looked deep in thought.

"How do you speak English if you were born in Ancient Greece?" she asked.

I shrugged my shoulders, stood up, dusted myself off, and wandered outside the light of the fire. After a few minutes of staring into the dark, I leaned against a tree and looked up at the stars. They were not the same as before, when I was a boy. They didn't seem as bright, and I could see new patterns, constellations, in the sky above. A twig snapped behind me, and I turned, hand on sword, to see Percy standing there. "Do you want first watch?" he asked. I shrugged.

"Not really tired. Who will take next watch, and when will I wake him?" I asked.

"I'll take it, and wake me up around midnight," Percy answered. I walked back to camp with him, grabbed a spear, and began to slowly patrol the area. My mind began to wander to some things Beckendorf had told me about what has been going on. Most of the gods were missing or captured, and those that weren't were organizing demigods, or fighting losing battles, like Poseidon. The demigods couldn't all stay in one place, because it was too risky. Eventually, they would be found, so hideouts were being maintained all over the place, the safest of which were being protected and hidden by gods. Percy mentioned that the god protecting their hideout changed every so often, but it was usually Hermes, until just recently. Percy didn't bother to tell me who the god protecting his hideout was. I don't think he likes the god, which is understandable in some cases.

After quite some time, I looked above my head to see the moon settled directly above me. I checked around the camp once more, then went to wake Percy. When I finally woke him up, he looked at his watch, and said, "I told you to wake me at midnight."

I pointed at the sky, and said, "The moon is in the middle of the sky. It is midnight."

"No, it is almost 3:00 in the morning," Percy said. Then he smacked his own forehead. "You don't have a watch, and midnight actually means the middle of the night to you." When he saw my confused look, he said, "Forget it, and get some sleep. Just know that you took two watches."

I did not understand, but took his advice, and laid down against a tree trunk to sleep. I had fallen asleep, and thankfully had no dreams, or nightmares rather, as I had the past few nights. However, if I had known what I woke up to, then I would have wished I had been blessed with mere dreams, as opposed to the waking nightmare.

A deafening roar rang in my ears, and jolted me awake. I snatched the spear and screamed, "What is going on?"

"DRAKON!" someone yelled in return. I rushed in the direction of the voice, and found Percy and Beckendorf beginning to fight off the Drakon, while Connor distracted it, and Travis tried to lead Nico to safety. The boy was in tears, and I did not know why. He is usually so excited to see monsters, and the bigger they were the better. As I walked forward, I finally understood why Nico was upset, and it turned my stomach. Bianca lay at my feet, face torn to pieces and bowels ripped out. Her blood pooled around her, but there was still light in the one eye I could see. The look of raw pain broke my heart.

"Protect Nico," was all she could force out before she left this life. Red filled my vision, and I turned to glare at the drakon. Rage filled every part of me, and I charged.

"Beckendorf!" I cried as I jumped toward him. He reacted just in time, and threw me at the ferocious beast. I threw my spear into the monster's maw, and rolled underneath it when I landed. I unsheathed my sword, and slashed through the drakon's tail, lopping it off in a single blow. Its bellow of pain must have been heard for miles, but I did not falter at the terrifying sound. When the beast turned around to face me, it fell over, likely because without its tail it had no balance. I jumped onto the beast's neck, and plunged my sword into the back of its skull, silencing the drakon forever. It slowly began to turn to dust, leaving only a skeleton behind, but I kept slashing at the bones in my rage.

At some point someone caught my arm and stopped me. My anger flared, and I turned to see a man slightly taller than me, but much stronger. He had closely shaved hair, and sunglasses covering his eyes. Scars covered his face, and, when he took off his shades, his eyes were pits of flame. "Lord Ares," I said, getting down on my knee.

"Alexander, I thought you were dead," he said, pulling me up to my feet. "Yes, I am Ares, the God of War, but I am also your father." At his words, a red insignia with a boar's head, and bloody spear, and a golden helmet glowed above my head.

Someone, Beckendorf declared, "All hail Alexander of Sparta, Son of Ares!" I turned to see around twenty more demigods get down on their knees at his words.

**AN****: **I know that Ares symbol doesn't include a golden helmet, but there is a reason for that, and I will explain it later. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and I would love to know if you did. Or if you didn't. Tell me about any mistakes I made.


	4. The Hideout

AN: Hey there! Thanks for reading this far! It's getting better, so you should stick around.

**The Hideout**

The base was closer than Percy thought it was. We practically camped on top of it. And that made me very, very mad. "If we had just kept moving that night, Bianca would still be alive!" I screamed at him.  
"I didn't know we were that close! If I had, we would have kept moving!" Percy yelled back.  
"How did the drakon even get to her? Why hadn't anyone woken me up yet?" I demanded. Everyone else had already risen, and they decided to let me sleep longer.  
"The thing came out of nowhere! It could have caught anyone off guard!" Percy yelled back. His face was red, and, I'm not sure but, I think the ground rumbled beneath my feet slightly. I looked away for a moment, my anger bubbling higher and higher, until I just screamed, trying to vent some of my rage.  
"You could have done something," I said dangerously low before I walked off. I kicked a nearby chair and sent it flying into the wall, where it shattered. Percy had enough sense to stay quiet.

I wandered around the hideout, which was little more than an expanded mine shaft, kicking at almost everything, and breaking some more pieces of furniture. Everyone seemed shocked that I defeated a drakon, but I hardly remember anything but the raw emotion and anger that flowed through me.

I hadn't seen Nico since Bianca's death, and I'm not sure where he is. I barely knew how to get around this place, so I wouldn't stand a chance of finding him, and even if I could, I wouldn't know what to say. Eventually, I found myself in a sort of training facility. Other demigods were sparring, or doing archery. I unsheathed my sword and began to hack at a dummy. The blade still felt awkward in my hand, but I managed to keep hold of it.

"Need a real sword?" a gruff voice asked. I turned to see my father standing there. He tossed me a different blade, a stouter and higher quality sword. "It was supposed to be yours. There is a lot that you missed out on," Ares said. I stared at the singled edged sword, and swung it around a few times experimentally.

"It feels good," I commented. Dad grunted.

"I know. I had Hephaestus make it for you. Now you finally get to wield it. Firebeard will be pleased to know you've finally got your hands on it. Even though we ain't on good terms, he still likes seeing his creations put in their intended place," he said. Frankly, I was shocked.

"The God of the Forge made this? For me?" I asked. He nodded. "Why?" Ares sighed at my simple question.

"There were plans Olympus had for you. You were to be a legend among demigods; one looked up to in awe. But the Fates had different plans," he said. He looked at me, and I stared back at him. I decided to ask a question that nobody else seemed to be able to answer.

"What really happened? I mean, I know that the Big Three were fighting, but did anyone ever find out who stole the Master Bolt?" I asked. Ares stiffened at my question, then took a deep breath.

"Luke Castellan is the demigod who stole my father's and uncle's weapons. But I caught him, and fell for his words. He promised me a war the likes of which I hadn't seen in many, many years. And I fell for it. I hid the bolt and the helm, which led to the war's escalation. The downfall of Olympus falls upon my shoulders," Ares said, his voice laced with regret.

I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything for a while.

"Why didn't you fight to protect Olympus?" I asked. He turned to me, and glared down at me, but I did not falter.

"I did. But I wasn't so obsessive in the fight to not realize when we had lost," he said.

"So you ran?" I half-asked, half-stated. The flames in his eyes flared.

"No, I made a tactical retreat, and called for others to do the same, boy. Only a few listened. Athena and Zeus had already been captured, and more of us have followed. None of the demigods here know this yet, I will be telling them tonight, but I am the only god who can protect them. Hermes was captured recently, like many other gods, and Poseidon and Hades are fighting in vain to hold their kingdoms. The rest are hiding, or have betrayed us," he said. I was set back on my heels. "Want to test out that blade? The runts are staring at us." It took me a moment to realize he wanted to spar. I nodded, and he made his sword appear.

My father attacked first, slashing at my hip, forcing me to jump back. I counter-attacked, but he deflected the blow with ease, then kicked me to the floor. I rolled out of the way to prevent myself from what would be a deathblow in a real battle, and jumped to my feet. Ares grunted, like he was saying, "good job," then began to attack once more. He led me with a feint, and then smacked my left side with the flat of his blade. "Dead," he said.

I nodded, and we began again. We continued to trade blows back and forth, but my father beat me every single time. He pointed out mistakes I was making, but never let up. When I asked him why he was attacking so relentlessly against an untrained warrior, he said, "your enemy won't go easy on you because you're a newbie. And how else will you get better if you aren't pushed?" After that, I focused on trying to last as long as possible. Frankly, I didn't believe I could beat him, and he could tell. Angered, my father began to make his blows even more swift and deadly, pushing my skills to the absolute limit. After a quick feint, Ares attempted to stab me. I rolled off of the blow, and I realized he had upped the tempo.

The message was loud and clear: try hard, or die fast. I began to actually attack him again, instead of going through the motions. He smiled, but didn't slow down, or stop trying to kill me. He went for my head, I ducked under the blow. He stabbed, I deflected. He slashed, I blocked. I made another attack, aimed for his left leg, and when he deflect I moved in and punched his gut, knocking the air out of the war-god. I punched again, then slammed the hilt of my sword into the back of his head, knocking him on the ground. Before I could force his surrender, he rolled and jumped to his feet. He angled his huge sword at my right shoulder, which made me duck, and then tackled me. I tried my best to wrestle with him, but he outweighed me, and outclassed me. Not a moment had passed before I had a large dagger against my neck.

"When you try, I won't kill you. Deal?" Ares asked.

"Deal," I answered. He got up off of me, and sheathed his blade. I looked around to see several demigods, Percy among them, staring at me. I glared at them, then turned to find the water. After I had drank a cup or two, I walked up to my dad, who decided to having a glaring contest with Percy. Apparently they don't like each other. I cleared my throat, which caught their attention.

"So what's the plan, dad?" I asked. The rest of the demigods, sans Percy, had left, or gone back to do something else.

"What do you mean?" he asked. I glanced at Percy, but decided it didn't matter.

"If the rest of the gods have been captured, or are in a losing fight, what are we going to do to win this war? If I am anything like you, you don't accept defeat," I said. Ares fists curled.

"Do I look like Athena to you? I'm good at fighting and in war. She is the all-knowing strategist. If you need a plan, find her," he said. Then he realized what he said. "Forget I said that."

I shrugged, and glanced at Percy who looked dumbfounded. "He'll explain tonight," I said. I began to walk off, when Percy grabbed my shoulder. I glared at him over said shoulder, and he released me.

"I'm sorry. I always screw stuff up. If I had just used my head more often, then we all wouldn't be in this situation," he said. It seemed like there was more meaning behind his words than just talking about Bianca.

"You'll make it up, eventually. It was my job to protect her anyway, I was just pissed," I said. I didn't ask for an apology, and I didn't say it, but I forgave him. He did what he thought was best based on what he knew at the time. I might have done the exact same thing. "Where can I get some food? I'm starved." He smiled.

"I'm hungry too. Follow me," Percy said. "Nice sword, by the way." We walked through the dark halls of the mine in silence, and a few minutes later we arrived at the mess hall. We grabbed a few pieces of bread and a piece of what I hope was venison.

The silence between us was deafening, but I just kept stuffing my face. "You know something?" Percy asked.

"I know lots of stuff, but get to your point," I replied. He rolled his eyes.

"The guys around here have been acting different since they saw you defeat the drakon last night. They don't seem so down. I think they needed to see someone do something positive. Hearing reports and stuff is great, but seeing something that big so close to their safe haven get destroyed boosted morale. I mean, you made it look effortless," he said.

"It wasn't, but I was just mad," I said. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Yea, but you used your anger well. Something else, and don't let your dad know I noticed, but Ares seems to be more positive now that he had seen your alive. He was seriously messed up earlier. He was more grumpy than usual, and he actually seemed sad before you showed up. I think he is very, very happy to see you," Percy said.

"Yea right," I said with a laugh.

"He's right, Alex," someone else said. I turned around to see Annabeth walking up to our table. "I picked up on Ares' improved mood instantly. He perked up when he recognized you," she said as she sat down across from Percy.

"Good to see you, Annabeth. It's been at least two weeks for me," I said in jest. The story I told at the campfire spread throughout the entire group of people here, courtesy of Connor and Travis Stoll. She rolled her eyes at me. We sat there for a few minutes longer, Percy and Annabeth talking about whatever, while I just butted out and ate my food.

When I finished, I asked, "Do you guys know where Nico is? I haven't seen him since yesterday." Percy's good mood vanished, and Annabeth just frowned.

"He's been in the men's dorm all day. I think he is hiding in there," Percy said. I nodded, and headed in that direction.

I ran into the Stolls, who tried to ask me something, but I just walked by. I had something more important to do. A few moments later, I walked slowly into the men's dorm, and looked around the room for Nico. "Nico?" I called. "Are you in here?"

"Go away," I heard him say from the corner behind a bed. I sat down on the bed, grabbed him by the shoulders, and plopped him down next to me. I had gotten stronger since my claiming, for whatever reason. I guess it's just a son of Ares thing.

"I'm staying right here, buddy. You want to talk about anything? We don't have to talk about yesterday if you don't want to," I said. I felt very uncomfortable. I'm not good at handling my own emotions, after all.

"No," he said, but he didn't try to move away.

"Alright. Um, do you want to hit something? I can take it," I said. He shook his head. I had to bite back my anger, because that would only make things worse right now. "Well then, what do you want to do?" I asked, with a slight edge in my voice. I couldn't keep in all the frustration. He looked at me, well, really it was more of a glare.

"Leave me alone," Nico said.

"Are you angry at me?" I asked, getting more pissed than before.

"No. It's Percy's fault. He is supposed to be the strongest of all of us. He is the son of Poseidon. He could have done something, but he didn't," Nico said, his own anger showing up. I didn't know what to say, because that was exactly how I felt earlier. Bianca was his sister, and the way she died was unbearable to see.

"Well, I don't know what to say to that. You should talk to Percy," I suggested.

"I don't want to talk to Percy!" Nico shouted.

"Um, do you want to fight?" I asked.

"No!" he yelled in return. I was quickly becoming furious, so, before I could hurt him, I stormed out. I shouldn't have done anything. He will have to handle it himself. I can't help, if he won't let me. Emotions suck.

I found myself wandering into the training area again, but this time I was content to just sit and watch the others practice. My out of control anger began to ebb away with the clang of swords and the twang of bowstrings. I sat there, doing nothing more than breathing for I don't know how long. People came and went, with the exception of one archer. He relentlessly and unceasingly drew back arrow after arrow, only stopping when he ran out. Then he would retrieve his shots, all clustered on the bullseye, and start again. He had dark hair, and his face was set in a permanent scowl. The most outstanding feature was his height. He couldn't have been 5' tall, but his skill with a bow more than made up for it.

After everyone else had cleared out, I walked up to the guy. "Hey, I think it's time to eat," I said.

"Not hungry," came his quick reply between shots.

"Ares is going to make an announcement," I said, hoping that would catch his attention.

"Why should I care?" he snapped back. I think my dad has pissed off a lot of people.

"Because it involves everyones' parents, yours included," I said, maintaining my patience surprisingly easily.

"What's to know about my dad? I know Apollo had been captured. He got caught on Olympus. The other gods don't mean anything to me," he said, finally turning to look at me after firing his last arrow. His eyes bugged out as he gazed at the center of my chest, then dragged his eyes up to meet my own.

"Alexander," I said, offering my hand. "Son of Ares."

"Sorry 'bout insulting your dad. I'm Michael Yew," he said before he turned to retrieve his arrows from the target. "Why haven't you gone to hear this, "important announcement?" he asked when he had come back to me. I shrugged.

"Dad already told me," I said. "You've been here shooting arrows all day, haven't you?"

"Yep," he said, popping the "P" as he turned to the target.

"Why?"

"Same reason you've been in here most of the time: I'm angry," he replied between shots.

"How would you know I'm angry?" I asked, slightly pissed.

"Because I'm angry. I can just tell," he said, turning to me again. "You're angry, and I think it's because you've been stuffed into a trap for the past several thousand years, only to come out and have a friend die. It isn't fair, but neither is life, so suck it up."

"You should take some of your own advice," I said. He turned to me, nostrils flared and eyes wide.

"You lost one friend. ONE FRIEND! I lost all of my brothers and sisters, and my dad! So you can shove an arrow up your butt for all I care," he said.

"Calm down, little man," I warned. "I'm sorry, but there isn't anything you can do. You survived, and that is all you have now. It's called survivor's guilt. Soldiers have gotten it for thousands of years! It existed when I was a child, and it will exist until the world ends. Remember them, but don't let their deaths keep you from living. Now come get something to eat," I ordered. He glared at me for a moment, but sighed, and began to walk with me. He cursed a few times under his breath, but otherwise stayed quiet.

"Why did you even bother? Nobody else tries to deal with me," he asked.

"I don't know. I don't really like quitting, I guess. I started it, and I was going to finish it," I said with a shrug.

"But why did you keep talking after I said I wasn't hungry?" he asked. I thought about it for a moment.

"Two reasons: first, I heard your stomach rumble, and second, something wouldn't let me go," I said. He seemed to accept that vague answer after a moment, but didn't say anything else.

When we arrived in the cafeteria, we snatched up some food, more venison and potatoes, and walked over to an empty table. A few minutes later, I heard someone set his plate down on the table, and looked up to see Nico. "Hey there, buddy. Good to see you decided to eat something. Feeling any better?" I asked. He shook his head. "Didn't think so. Want to do something later?" I asked. He shook his head again. I shrugged, and decided to let it slide. He'll return to the land of the living eventually.

"Who's the shrimp?" Michael asked. I glanced at Nico, but he didn't seem to mind the comment, or he didn't hear it.

"This is Nico, the kid who I was in the Lotus with," I explained. Michael's face made an "oh" look, and he returned to his meal.

A few minutes later, a loud banging rang throughout the room, and I turned to see my dad smacking his sword into the side of a shield.

"Alright, punks, I have an announcement. Some of you know this, and others will want to forget. Hermes was recently captured. You know what that means, right?" he asked as he glared at us down his nose. "Of course you don't. It means that I am the only god with enough power that is willing and able to help you brats," he said. The mood in the room wasn't jolly by any account, but any mild semblance of happiness vanished at his words.

"Ah, come on, I ain't that bad. Anyway, we need to counterattack," he began, but someone cut him off.

"And lose what few demigods we have left here? The other hideouts aren't being protected by a god anymore, and it's a matter of time until they are gone. You want to waste our lives in a meaningless counterattack?" Annabeth asked. My father glared down at her past his shades.

"Shut your trap, Blondie. I have a plan, and you might just thank me for it later, brat. It's obvious that we need to start digging out of this hole. Hades and Poseidon can't help, and we can't help them right now. We need some more gods to start beating the Titans back. Problem is, I don't know where they are, and wouldn't know how to figure that out. As much as I hate to say it, we need Athena. I have already selected the group that will go look for her," Ares yelled. Everyone stared at him for a moment.

"Who are they?" somebody asked.

"Thanks for asking. You punks are slow sometimes. Anyways, Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and my son Alexander will find Athena. Anyone got a problem with that?" he asked, daring someone to speak up. When no one did, he said, "Now, while they are out looking for Owlhead, we will be fortifying this place until it becomes and respectable military establishment. And, lucky for you, I will be training all of you snots to actually swing a sword the right way. Most of you ain't got natural talent like my kids and Jackson," he said. He seemed reluctant to admit that Percy had skill, but he managed, somehow. "You might as well finish your meals, have your fun, and enjoy the last night you'll have as kids. Tomorrow you become soldiers."

I knew he didn't mean that literally, but Ares definitely planned on shaping them up into a real fighting force. I frowned, and turned around to see Michael and Nico.

"Looks like you guys will have your hands full," I said. Michael laughed, but Nico just looked at me for a second, then began to eat again. This kid is killing me. I turned to see Percy and Annabeth walking up to me.

"Looks like you won't be getting a rest, Alex," Percy said.

"I've rested for over 2000 years. I'll be fine. At least I have a decent sword now," I joked. Percy laughed a little bit, but Annabeth just rolled her eyes. "Is there anything specific, besides my sword, that I need to bring?"

"All we need is food and mortal money," Annabeth said. She looked like she was thinking too hard.

"What's cooking in that brain of yours?" I asked her as I took a sip of water.

"I just don't like leaving on a quest without a prophecy," she said.

"Because the last prophecy worked out so well," Percy said sarcastically. Annabeth hit him in the tenders, which made me wince.

"Remind me not to piss you off," I said, earning a small smile from Annabeth as Percy rolled around on the floor in pain.

**AN:** Whatcha think? Let me know! Thanks for reading!


	5. We Begin

**AN:** Hey! I hope you liked that last chapter. The action is gonna be coming around really soon, so keep on reading.

**We Begin**

In the morning, Percy and I met with Annabeth near the entrance to the mine. I had my sword, and a shield and spear, but little else besides. My dad had just started waking everyone up for training, but he managed to wish us luck. Percy swears Ares had never been like this before.  
As for how we started, well, Percy devised a very specific and scientific method to pick the direction we would go: he would spin around with his eyes closed until he got dizzy, then he would point in a direction, and that is where we would go. Annabeth thought it was ridiculous, but she couldn't think of a better idea, so she agreed to it. Percy ended up pointing off to the east, so I shouldered my pack, and began the march, as the formal leader of the quest.  
We trekked at a decent pace for several hours, when we came up over a ridge, where we saw a gorgeous man-made lake with a road going around it. The road looked like it hadn't been cared for in years, as it had eroded away and parts of it were overgrown. Several trees in the area had been burned and twisted. "What monster attacked this place?" I asked. Percy turned to Annabeth, so I decided I might as well follow his example.  
"I've never seen a monster just attack the landscape. This is natural. It looks like a wildfire and a tornado struck this place at the same time," she said, looking around at the destruction.  
"Is that even possible?" Percy asked.  
"Of course it is," Annabeth replied simply. I shook my head, and began the descent into the valley. Fallen trees and stubborn shrubbery littered the mountain, making it rather difficult to go down. As I weaved in and out of the flora, I spotted something in the distance. At first, I thought it was a monster. However, as we got closer, I realized it was one of several horses. They were grazing in the fields and drinking from the lake.  
"Percy, there are horses down there," I said. "Do you think we could ride them?" Percy squinted his eyes for a moment.  
"I will talk with them," he said. "It shouldn't be a problem, but I don't want to steal horses, even if they are perfectly willing." I shrugged, until I realized what he said.  
"Wait, you can actually speak with horses? I figured they would favor you as a son of Poseidon, but I had no idea you can actually communicate with them," I said.  
"Well, yea, I can talk with equine things, pegasi, and fish. It's really not a big deal," he said, trying to downplay his skill set. I rolled my eyes, and continued the hike down the mountain.  
When we finally reached the valley floor, I told Percy to take the lead, so he could be the first one to approach the horses. I figured a six-foot six-inch behemoth wielding a spear might frighten the steeds. Unless, for some odd reason, they had no fear of armed warriors, which I suppose is possible if they haven't been exposed to them.  
Either way, when Percy got within speaking distance, he called out to the horses, and five of them trotted over, one of which was a colt. They surrounded him, whinnying and neighing as they talked with him, and he stroked their necks. After five minutes or so, Percy turned to me and said, "They're parents were a group of horses that tourists rode around the mountains here, but this place was abandoned recently. They managed to survive though, which I guess makes them wild mustangs," he explained.  
"That's great, but will they let us ride them willingly?" I asked. If the son of Poseidon wasn't here, I would have mounted them anyway, but I figured Percy wouldn't take kindly to that, and I didn't want to risk a fight with him so close to a water source.  
"Yes, they'll take us as far as we need, but the colt and his mother have to stay," Percy answered. I smiled a bit at that, and thanked the horses, but I wasn't sure if they could understand me, so I felt somewhat foolish.  
After another moment, Percy had them lead us to the old stables, where the horses said there was some tack. All three of us decided to ride bareback, and because Percy could communicate with the horses directly, he didn't even grab reins. As a group, we generally let the horses walk on their own, after Percy told them the direction we were going in.  
I didn't say much all day. When Percy asked why at one point, I answered, "I ain't much for small talk."  
"Oh, that's cool. I thought you didn't like me," he said.  
"Why wouldn't I? You're a good fighter, you haven't shown dishonesty, and you are brave," I said.  
"I have a bad history with your father, and your siblings, so most of your family doesn't care for me," he explained.  
"I'm not my father, and he doesn't make decisions for me. I don't even know any of my siblings, and their reasons for disliking you are surely foolish," I said. Throughout the day, Annabeth and Percy had tried to make some form of conversation, which mostly consisted of Annabeth explaining things about architecture, or how she liked the effect the light had on the forest floor through the pine needles, so she would try to use it in a design. Honestly, it got rather tiring.  
That night, we camped in a mountain pass. As I lay back against a tree with my eyes on the fire, I thought about the first day of the quest. I had no truthful idea how much distance we had covered, as we had covered ground in the mountains, which is by far slower going than travel is on flat ground. The lack of monster attacks during the day disturbed me, but I thanked the gods, rather than over thinking anything.  
Percy, however, was seriously concerned. "Hey, do you guys wonder why no monsters attacked today?" he asked.  
I grunted, and replied, "It doesn't matter if we weren't attacked. It's a blessing, but we shouldn't let our guard down. I'll take first shift."  
As I stood up, Annabeth actually answered his question. "Probably because we are in the middle of nowhere. With Kronos trying to exterminate demigods, and with most of the monsters in organized armies, it isn't likely that there are a lot of monsters around here," she said.  
"Yea, only the wild, and much more dangerous monsters reside in the middle of nowhere," I said as I leaned against a tree nearby.  
"Like what?" Percy asked.  
"If I name them, and they are nearby, we might be attacked tonight. I would rather we avoid a replay of what happened to Bianca, so you'll just have to use your imagination," I responded. Percy got the point, and shut up. Thirty minutes, several flirtatious arguments, and a few cries of pain later, Percy and Annabeth fell asleep.  
I checked on the horses, and when I saw they hadn't fallen asleep yet, I led them into the firelight so I could watch them as well. Horse or demigod, no creature under my protection would be hurt on my watch. I found an agreeable path to tread, and followed it, watching and listening for any sign of danger. I glanced up at the sky, and saw the moon was three-quarters to its zenith, so I checked my newly acquired watch, courtesy of the Stolls, and saw that it was nearing midnight. After I made one more round, I went to wake Percy up for his watch. It took him about five minutes to wake up enough to effectively take watch, so I maintained watch until he was ready. Finished waking up, Percy began to beat his own path to follow on his watch.  
As I lay down on the forest floor, I gazed at the stars, and the constellations of heroes passed. I did not know their stories, but I did know the gods put them there for a reason, whether for punishment or a form of immortalization. Was I destined to be among the stars until the Fates intervened? Or was I to become a god and live as an example to all heroes that would have followed me? What plans did Olympus have for me? And what made me special? I am just a son of Ares. I don't have any incredible powers like Percy; I just fight well, and there had been more than enough excellent fighters in history, even in my time.  
In the end, I kept on coming back to one question: what makes me special? With that question haunting my mind, I drifted off to sleep. My mind, whether guided my Morpheus or the will of the Fates, showed me visions of my past, but from the outside looking in. I couldn't help but chuckle as I watched myself interact with one of the soldiers patrolling the streets. While other kids were off playing with each other, or trying to steal sweets from the merchants, I "patrolled" with the guard. Argyros, as he insisted I call him, rather than "sir," never objected to letting me follow him around. In fact, he tried to teach me how to fight, saying it would be useful to me when I became a soldier, but my mother immediately put the kibosh on that. Argyros was likely my closest friend. He always made time for me, and taught me how to carve. Even though it wasn't a fighting skill, I still soaked up every word of instruction he gave on that subject, for no other reason than it was Argyros who taught it to me.  
One day, Argyros stormed into my house, and began whispering with my mother, glancing at me occasionally. My mother insisted I go outside and play with my sword, which wasn't anything more than a thick stick I swung around. I didn't think she knew about it, because she always stopped me from learning to fight. However, this time around, I heard everything that was said when the younger version of myself was sent out. "Are you sure, Argyros?" my mother asked urgently.  
"Yes, I am positive. I saw the order laying on the captain's desk. The king had signed it, and the guards are mustering know. They will have noticed I'm missing, so I too must escape," he said. My mother sat down in a chair and sighed.  
"How could the king have discovered that Ares is Alexander's father? I can hardly believe he would do such a drastic thing to protect his power. It's horrifying," she said quietly.  
"Many of the guardsmen will adamantly refuse, so you may have time to escape, and it may not even succeed, but it is a risk you can't afford to take," Argyros said. After a moment, he spoke again. "My lady, you must move quickly. The only advantage you have is the fact that Alexander isn't the only boy in town between the age of seven and ten. The king will not risk his family losing power to a son of Ares."  
"The king is an utter fool!" my mother cried. "Does he honestly believe that he can kill Ares' son without repercussions? Especially when that son is destined to take his throne?"  
"I do not know, my lady," Argyros said lowly. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I was supposed to lead a revolt and take the throne of Sparta for myself. The king somehow discovered Ares' plans, likely treachery on Olympus, and ordered that all boys around my age be killed to prevent the coup. That is why my mother moved us. We likely would have moved back at some point, or perhaps the boat was intended to be the first leg on the journey home.  
Even so, there have been thousands of revolts and takeovers throughout time, in every country and city-state. So the question still remains: what makes me so special?

**AN:** I KNOW WHAT MAKES HIM SPECIAL! YOU'LL NEVER GUESS IT! Hehe. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry it isn't really long, but I'm a bit down. My basketball team got knocked out in the semifinals, mostly because of our coaches making dumb decisions. But, what can you do? Anyway, leave me a review. I would love some feedback, so FEED ME BACK! Haha


	6. The Destination

**AN:** Thank you for my first review, R3D N3BuLOS17Y! Honestly, I had to copy-paste that. Creative use of caps and numbers though.

**The Destination**

Nearly a week passed, and, other than a few negligible monsters, nothing really happened. No deaths or catastrophic food shortages, but Percy did freak when a bee landed on his nose, which had Annabeth rolling until Percy mentioned spiders. The best part of the bee event: Percy's nose was bright red for three days. Would you be able to hold a serious conversation when the person you're talking with has an angry crimson mark on the tip of his nose? Personally, I don't think it's possible. Fortunately, the mark faded away before we met any real civilization.

By the weeks end, the realization that we would never find Athena wandering aimlessly set in, which made me extremely irritable. "If I were an all-powerful Lord of Time, where would I hide the goddess of battle strategy and wisdom?" Percy asked in jest. I lost it.

"Perhaps we could visit Mount Othrys and ask? If we could answer that question, we would stand a decent chance of even finding Athena. But, surprise, we don't know how the Titan Lord thinks! What we need is intel, and we won't find it by being safe in the wilderness," I snapped. I took a deep breath before I hurt the guy. "How about we go to Denver? Are we close? That is where the lawyer who got Nico and me out of the Lotus told us to go at first," I said. Percy looked confused, but he usually looked like that, so I didn't think anything of it.

Annabeth, however, took out the map she had in her pack, and began to check how far off we were. I wanted to try and learn how to navigate this land, but the complex map confused me, so I decided to let Annabeth navigate. That girl seems to always be on top of things. At first, I questioned why my father would have chosen her as one of my teammates, but now I see the merit of his decision. After all, he provided the quest with two excellent warriors, not to say Annabeth is shabby with her knife, and then sent along someone who could help us figure out nearly anything.

"Alright, as best as I can tell," Annabeth said after a few moments, "we can probably get to Denver by the end of the day. The path we have been following has led us toward the city anyway. Alex, I'm not sure about going to a major city. It is extremely risky," Annabeth cautioned. I grunted, essentially letting her know that I heard what she said, but didn't give a flying boot about it. She may not have understood what I tried to convey, but it didn't matter. Time here in the middle of nowhere is getting us, well, nowhere.

"Is there a road nearby that could get us to Denver faster?" I asked.

"There are a few mountain roads, but they are for four-wheel driving, so there may not be anyone on them," she immediately responded. I nodded, and indicated for her to take the lead. Over the course of the day, the forest began to thin as the outlying indicators of the major city began to appear. Unfortunately, as we approached the city, the appearance of monsters became more frequent. By the time we reached the suburbs, I told Percy to let the horses return to their home. I didn't think riding into a modern city on a horse would be an effective way to stay concealed from our enemies. He seemed to understand, but still pouted at having to say goodbye to his new friends. Sometimes, I swear that the guy is eight years old.

By the time we were in the city of Denver proper, the sun had settled below the horizon. When Percy suggested that we find a hotel to stay in, I hesitated briefly, but agreed because Annabeth quickly pointed out the defensive advantage of only having one door in and out of a room. After we secured a single room for the three of us, I ensured that our room was secure, and then, at the encouragement of both Annabeth and Percy, decided to hop in the shower. Percy said something along the lines of, "Dude, we all reek after a week in the mountains without washing, but you're so nasty smelling that the flowers you get too close to wither."

After I finished washing up in the shower, which nearly froze me until Percy told me to turn the hot water on, I locked the front door, after I freaked out on Percy and Annabeth for not locking it in the first place, then gazed out the window at the city before me. The hustle and bustle of these large cities still unsettles me, but this is the world I live in now, so I suppose I'll have to adjust. I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly before I turned to settle down.

The night passed uneventfully, praise the gods, and we got an early start on the day. Annabeth insisted that we stayed in the hotel for the breakfast, which I adamantly protested, because I wanted to find our intel. Unfortunately, our luck ran away with its tail tucked between its legs soon after we sat down to eat our breakfast. Several monsters, who must have been tracking us overnight, barged in the door, causing mass panic and utter chaos. The short battle ended when I heard one of the apparently more intelligent monsters speak. Annabeth called it a Telekhine. Without a doubt, the disgusting creature expected me to run my blade through its chest, but I saw my opportunity for intel.

I grabbed the seven-foot tall beast by the neck, and dragged it kicking and screaming to our room, occasionally stopping to beat the Telekhine. "What do you think you're doing?" Annabeth demanded. I turned and glared at her, effectively shutting her up. When we arrived in our room, I called out for rope, and quickly tied the monstrosity up.

I sat down in front of the beast. "Now, I heard you talk, so it would be best if you don't act dumb. Would such an intelligent monster be able to tell me where Lady Athena is?" I asked with a deadly edge to my voice. The dog-faced monster growled at me and spit in my face. I calmly wiped it off.

"Alright, now let me ask again. This time, however, understand that if you do not cooperate with me, great pain will follow," I threatened, reaching for the knife I had occasionally carved with. "Where is Athena?" When the Telekhine glared at me, I stabbed downwards into its leg/flipper, eliciting a painful growl followed by black blood pouring from the wound. I leaned forward, and said, "Just because it isn't celestial bronze, doesn't mean it can't hurt. In fact, since steel won't dispel your essence, you'll die much more slowly and painfully. I suggest you start talking," I said maliciously, while Annabeth and Percy looked shocked. Percy snapped out of it first.

"Dude! What are you doing? We don't have to torture it!" he cried. I shot a glare at him

"Yes, we do, if we ever want to finish this cursed quest. The beast would gladly do the same to you, on a whim," I replied.

"That is what makes it a monster!" Annabeth responded. My vision went red.

"Are you calling me a monster? Would you rather your mother stay captured, where she is probably being tortured or worse? Is this soulless monster worth as much as a demigod or a goddess?" I demanded, before I drove my knife into its other leg, twisted, and yanked it out. "Torture is part of war. We don't get a choice, unless you think a Titan would tell us if we said 'please.'"

The monster was whimpering and whining in a way very similar to a dog, but I growled. "Want to talk yet?" I asked, while brandishing my knife. Managing to growl at me somehow, the Telekhine shook its head weakly. "How loyal can you be?" I asked as I forced his clawed hand onto the nearby desk. The thing's eyes widened when I pressed my knife over its finger. As I slowly dug the sharp blade into its finger, it whimpered. One glance at its still defiant eyes, and I chopped the digit off, eliciting another cry of pain. "I've got all the time on the world," I said menacingly.

After a brief moment, I moved to the next finger. However, before the blade even met its rough hand, it cried, "Stop!" In a gravelly voice, it told me, "I'm not positive exactly where, but I know that your goddess is in Nashville."

"That would have been easier the first time. I would let you go, but I'm afraid we can't have you telling the Titans we are coming, so you will have to enjoy some time in Tartarus. Thanks for talking. You just saved us an incredible amount of time," I responded coldly. I grabbed my sword, and put the poor beast out of the misery I inflicted. I turned to Percy and Annabeth, who looked like they had gotten sick. "If I ever have to do that again, it will be too soon," I said, truly meaning it.

I wiped the black blood off my knife, and then asked, "Now, where the Hades is Nashville?"

**AN:** Sorry about the lateness, but better late than never, eh? Review please!


	7. Writer's Block Notice

**Hey there everyone,**

**I just wanted to let you know that I'm taking an intentional break. I have written tens of thousands of words, covering all of my stories, and I can't figure out where to go from there. I just keep reading over it to proofread, and end up deleting it because it was horrible. I'm sorry, but for now all of my stories are on hold. I will return to writing them the moment I get something written that I feel is good enough for you amazing readers. **

**Now, understand that it is possible that I may post a new story due to a strike of inspiration, but I can't and won't promise that. Once again, I apologize for this.**

**If you have any ideas as to what I do next, please tell me in a PM or review. Even if I don't use it, it will help restore the creative juices in my brain. **

**Thank you all so very much for reading my stories! I will do the best I can to get back on them for you! As I've said before, thanks for being amazing. I love you guys! God bless!**


End file.
